Government Response to the consultation on the Energy Performance of Buildings: Changes to the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations 2012 No. 3118

  • This consultation sought views on the proposals to amend the existing regulations for domestic and non-domestic buildings to improve their energy efficiency and provide a reduction in their carbon emissions by increasing the threshold of the current air-conditioning inspection regime to include only air-conditioning systems and combined air –conditioning and ventilation systems with an effective rated output of more than 70kW
  • This would lead to savings for some building owners but at some cost to energy assessor businesses while recognising that some carbon savings from smaller systems would be lost

Government Decision

  • The UK Government intends to diverge from the European Commission’s proposal and retain the existing threshold for the inspection of energy efficiency of air-conditioning systems and combined air-conditioning and ventilation systems that have an effective rated output of more than 12kW.
  • Government will be making a minor technical amendment to the existing 2012 regulations to ensure that the capabilities of air-conditioning systems and combined air-conditioning and ventilation systems are considered to optimise the system’s performance under typical operating conditions.

Stakeholders Responses leading to the above decision

  • Majority of stakeholders favoured retaining the existing regime
  • A significant improvement in enforcement and sanctions would be required for greater comparative savings from targeted larger units to be realised
  • Responses also favoured the retention of the opportunity for inefficient lower output air-conditioning systems to be identified and the wider energy efficiency advice that building owners received when inspections are undertaken.
  • The cost benefit analysis within the wider climate change targets did not warrant a change

A copy of the Government’s response can be downloaded here.